Garment



06% 5, 1948. BUQHLER 2,450,631

GARMENT Filed April 2, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mmmmmmnmnmufiiumnmnmmhum I BYWV ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 5, 1948 GARMENT Ernest Buchler, Sunnyside, Long Island, N. Y.,.as-

signor to Arkay Infants Wear, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York 1 Application April 2, 1948, Serial No. 18,641

6 Claims. (Cl. 2-80) This invention relates generally to garments, and more particularly to infants wearing apparel such as creepers. rompers and the like. While childrens garments of the above description are quite well known, the present invention deals with a particular garment structure which is not only extremely economical from the manufacturers standpoint, but also possesses certain novel features which render the garment espe-.- cially practical and desirable.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a garment constructed of substantially one-piece front and rear members sewed together along their sides, and wherein each of the members is com-posed of upper and lower garment portions connected with one another by a relatively broad waistband portion, and wherein the material used has the physical property of being expansible one-directionally, such as laterally in respect to the vertical axis of the garment, and wherein the lower garment portion is provided at its interior face with a moistureprooi inlay or lining which is composed of front and rear members extending from below the waistband downwardly, and which are secured along their edges with the united edges of the garment material, and wherein the neck portion and the leg portions of the garment are provided with continuous bands of the same type of material used for the garment portions, and which bands are expansible circumferentially,

these bands comprising strips of material bent upon themselves and forming tubular end structures associated at their meeting edges with the edges of the upper and lower garment portions.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a garment structure of the type indicated, wherein the upper and lower garment portions and the sleeve portions are made of onedirectionally enpansible, relatively closel knitted material, while the waistband portion is made preferably, but not necessarily, with two parts of a similar one-directionally expansible knitted material of a more closely knitted structure, such as ribbing, while the neck band and the leg bands *-comprise continuous tubular circumferentially expansi'ble structures made from a ribbing material similar to that from which the waistband is made, but being of a finer texture, and wherein the rear portion of the neck band is reinforced up to the shoulders of the garment to limit the expansion of the rear portion of the neck collar while permitting full expansionof the front-portion of the collar, and wherein at least one of the shoulders is openable and comprises a lower and an upper portion and means for connecting these portions, and wherein the lower, garment portions terminates in a relatively short and simple crotch structure with overlapping crotch flaps, and with which flaps are associated fastening means for holding the flaps in adjacent and overlapping position with one another.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a garment of the type and structure indicated, and wherein in substitution of a waistband with wide ribbing, the front and rear garment members are made of single, continuous pieces of material, including the waistband, which latter is formed by folding the garment material inwardly along two distanced parallel lines, and wherein the thus formed waistband is provided along the hip portions with individual, interiorly disposed elastic elements for normally drawing together the waistportions of the garment;

A further object of this invention is to provide a garment made of knitted material so that it may expand in one direction only, and wherein all portions of the garment sewed together are connected by overlock stitching, and wherein a moistureproof lining is permanently secured within the lower portion of the garment by the same type of stitching. g

The foregoing and still further objects and other advantages of the present invention will become more fully understood from the ensuing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view or front elevation of one form of the garment in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 through Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the garment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial plan view of the garment turned inside out disclosing the manner of uniting the various garment parts;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 through Fig. 6 is a plan view or front elevation of a Referring now to Figs. 1 to 5, numeral i0 denotes the front member of the garment, whereas numeral l l indicates the rear member thereof and which members are permanently united with one another along their edges by overlock stitching S, employed throughout the manufacture of der of the garment is openable and has lower and upper ends which are provided with suitable fastening means indicated at l9.

Along the rear and secured to collar i8 is a reinforcing element 20, attached over overlook stitching S by simple stitching and which element extends with one of its ends over the left shoulder, while its other end terminates over the right shoulder. This reinforcing element is intended to limit the expansion of the rear portion of collar l8. A similar continuous collar construction is provided at the lower ends of the skirt or bottom portion it. These leg collars are indicated at 2! and comprise continuous tubular structures similar to that shown in section in Fig. 2. The overlapping ends of the leg collars and the mid areas of skirt portions ll and M constitute front and rear crotch flaps 22 arid 22', provided with suitable fastening means 23 for keeping these flaps in their intended closed position. The waistband portions [5 and i5 may be made of sidewisely expansible ribbing with rela tively widely spaced, vertically disposed ribs, whereas the material used in the upper and lower garment portions, including the sleeves, is made of knitted goods so placed that it is expansible in horizontal direction only.

The lower garment portion is preferably lined with moistureproof material 24 which extends from the lower edge 25 of the waistband 'to the inner edges of leg collars 2| and the inner edges of crotch flaps 22 and 22'. The sides of the linin are secured to the united sides of the lower garment portions l4 and I4. The lining comprises front and rear parts.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the garment is again composed of front and rear members l0 and II which are of a continuous pattern and include waistband portion 25. This waistband portion is formed by folding inwardly a portion of the material along two spaced lines,-

as clearly seen in Fig. 7, and along the interior parts of the hip areas of the waistband there'are secured to the bent-in waistband edges symmetrically disposed elastic elements 21 which are intended to draw together the waist portion of the garment. In every other respect the garment structure in the modified form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is identical with that described in connection with Figs. 1 to 5.

Both modifications employ preferably knitted fabrics expansible in one direction only. As stated, the waistband in the embodiment shown in Fig. l is made of ribbing, while the waistband in the modified form shown in Fig. 6 is made of the same material as the lower and upper gar- 'ment portions, and elastic elements are inserted along the hip areas of the waistband in that modification, but in every other respect both garment structures are practically identical. Particular attention is invited to reinforcement 20 at the expansible neck collar, which reinforce- 4 ment extends to the shoulder portions of the garment and provides a positive support for the neck of the child. In other words by preventing the expansion of neck band II in the rear a relative firmness is imparted to the garment shoulder and neck portions.

The construction of the crotch flaps is of a decided advantage in that it permits the ready opening and closing of the lower portion of the garment so that changing of diapers is facilitated.

As stated previously, the moistureproof lining at the interior face of the lower garment portion terminates on top at the lower edge of the waistband and at the bottom at the upper edges of the legcollars and crotch flaps. Both the waistband and the collars being resilient, they have the tendency of drawing together the adjoining edges of the moistureproof material, thereby facilitating the retention of moist diapers within the lower garment portion, the waistband preventing the creeping up of the diaper, whereas leg bands 2i prevent the falling of the lower diaper ends.

The moistureproofed skirt of the garment depending from a one-directionally expansible waistband may be used either in connection with upper garment portions as shown in the drawings. or may be applied to garments of other types. such as long-sleeve winter or sleeping outfits or sleeveless summer or sunning suits; such application being obvious, illustrations of such garment types are omitted.

While in the above description only two specific forms of the present invention are described,

. it is quite obvious that changes and improvements may be incorporated therein without departing from its scope, as defined in the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. In an infants garment, a relatively wide waistband composed of front and rear parts joined along their sides and being made from one-directionally expansible material, such as knitted fabric, a, skirt portion depending from the lower edge of the waistband and being composed of front and rear parts joined along their sides and having leg portions provided with tubular leg collars, said leg portions terminating at their lower ends in overlapping crotch flaps provided with fastening means for holding the flaps in their overlapping, closed position, a moistureproof lining composed of front and rear parts provided at the interior of the skirt portion, the uppei edges of the lining parts being secured to the lower edge of the waistband, the sides of the lining being jointly united with the sides of the skirt material, and the lower edges of the lining parts being joined with the upper edges of the leg collars and of the flaps.

2. A garment having sidewisely and permanently united front and rear members composed of upper and lower garment portions havin neck and leg-enclosing formations respectively, and being connected by a relatively broad waistband, the upper and lower garment portions being made from one-directionally expansible fabric, the waistband being made from two pieces of a similar but more resilient fabric, circumferentially expansible collar and leg bands provided, respectively, at the neck and at the leg-enclosing formations, an overlapping, detachably connected crotch structure between the leg bands, and a moistureproof lining, composed of front and rear elements, applied to the entire interior surfaces of the front and rear members of the lower garment portion and being permanently secured to the united side edges of the latter and to' the lower edge of the waistband.

3. A garment having front and back members, each member consisting of upper and lower garment portions, a relatively broad waistband made of front and back elements connecting the respective garment portions; the edges of the front and back members in both upper and lower garment portions and the ends of the waistband elements being permanently united along the sides of the garment, the entire garment being made from one directionally expansible material adapted to give laterally with respect to the vertical center line of the garment, a neck formation at the upper garment portion and a continuous collar band being expansible circumferentially provided at the neck, leg formations at the lower garment portions having continuous, circumferentially expansible leg bands, said leg formations converging to form overlapping crotch flaps provided with fastening means for holding them together, and a moistureproof lining at the interior surface of the lower garment portion and being composed of front and rear parts, permanently connected at their upper edges to the lower edge of the waistband, the lower edges of the lining terminating at the upper edges of the leg bands and at the edges of the crotch flaps, and being permanently attached to these edges, the sides of the lining being fixedly secured to the permanently united sides of the lower garment portions.

4. A garment having upper and lower garment portions made of fabric expansible in lateral direction, and having, respectively, neck and legenclosing formations, a relatively broad waistband connecting said garment portions and being expansible in the same direction, collars provided at the neck and leg-enclosing formations and being made of circumferentially expansible fabric, the back of the neck collar having a reinforcing band limiting the expansion of the neck collar back portion; the lower garment portion terminating in a crotch construction comprising two overlapping crotch flaps provided with fastening means for holding them in overlapping, connected position; and a moistureproof lining at the interior of the lower garment portion and extending from the lower edge of the waistband to the upper edges of the leg collars and of the crotch flaps, said lining comprising front and rear portions which are permanently secured along their edges to the joined side edges of the lower garment portions, to the lower edge of the waistband and to the upper edges of the leg collars and of the crotch flaps.

5. A garment having sidewisely united front and rear garment portions, made of one-directionally expansible material and having waist and skirt members and a waistband composed of front and rear elements, all forming continuations of one another, the waistband visibly separating the waist and skirt members, a neck opening formed in the waist member, leg portions formed with the skirt member, circumferentially expansible bands provided at the neck and at said leg portions being made from a material similar to but stretchable less than the material from which the garment portions are made, a pair of individual, resilient elements provided at the interior hip areas of the waistband and being disposed symmetrically to one another, the skirt member having between its leg portions a crotch formation with separably overlapping flaps, and a moistureproof lining at the interior of the skirt member composed of front and rear parts permanently secured to the lower edge of the waistband, to the sides of the garment and to the upper edges of the expansible leg bands and of the crotch formation.

6. A'garment having attached upper and lower portions and a waistband, the lower garment portion having front and rear members secured together along their side edges and terminating in leg-enclosing formations provided with circumferentially expansible bands and overlapping crotch flaps, the latter having fastening means for holding the flaps in overlapping, closed position; a moistureproof lining provided for and covering the interior faces of the front and rear members of the lower garment portions and being fixedly secured to the side edges of these front and rear members and to the lower edge of the waistband.

ERNEST BUCHLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,329,119 George Jan. 27, 1920 1,359,802 Haight Nov. 23, 1920 1,382,461 Berry June 21, 1921 1,876,311 McDonald Sept. 6, 1932 1,889,701 Rosenberg Nov. 29, 1932 1,953,797 Daniel Apr. 3. 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 218,354 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1942 

